Mobile computing is becoming increasingly common. Over the years, the impact of mobile computing on the way we live and do business has been surpassed, perhaps, only by the impact of the Internet. Mobile nodes, such as data-ready cellular phones, pagers, laptop computers, and wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs) have become so commonplace in our lives that it easy to forget that such technology was rare only a few years ago.
A mobile node is able to change its point of attachment from one network or subnet to another as it roams from its home network. The mobile node travels from link to link, maintaining ongoing communications by updating its care-of-address at each new link.
Recently, it has become popular to relocate entire networks away from their home network. Mobile routers enable entire networks to roam. For example, an airplane, car, train, or ship can travel around the world, while passengers stay connected to the Internet. Traditionally, such communication is accomplished by Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) aware routers, which route packets destined to hosts on the mobile network, to a location where the mobile router is visiting.
Mobile routers eliminate the need for a host to be aware of mobility. In fact, local nodes on the mobile network may not be aware of any IP mobility at all, thereby eliminating updating of the node's care-of-address as the network roams. The mobile router hides the IP roaming from its local nodes within the mobile network, so that the local nodes appear to be directly attached to their home network.
However, while mobile routing provides advantages in mobile IP, it is not without problems. The mobile router must update its care of address as the mobile network attaches to visiting networks. Moreover, such movement of mobile networks has severe impacts on underlying routing protocols employed by traditional routers. Thus, it is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.